Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve
come to
the right
place.
For those who dream of taking their business to new heights,
for those who envision charting their own path, and for those
who crave success built on both hard work and the right
environment, Maryland is turning on the lights and opening
the door. So take a look around. Take the first step in starting
your own business, or simply the next step in the right
direction. Grow your business in Maryland, and discover what
Maryland can do for you.

The
numbers
donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lie.

$

78,945

#

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD
INCOME — the highest in the nation

9.3B

1∕3

$

in exports (2016)

of U.S. population
within an overnight drive

TOP

AAA

bond rating from all
3 major rating agencies

#

2

highest share
of all technology
companies

3

in growth
entrepreneurship

57

accredited 2- and 4-year

COLLEGES and
UNIVERSITIES

6M

POPULATION

#

2

among states
in WalletHub’s
Overall Most
Innovative States

Shape your
future in
one move.
The best thing you can
do for your business.

Describe the ideal location for your business, and
any real estate professional worth their saltwater
will point you to Maryland. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at the center of the
busiest U.S. corridor and home to the closest Atlantic
seaport to the Midwest.
Our central East Coast position provides you with
easy access to major U.S. cities and connects you
internationally by air, rail, road and water. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the
kind of thing that comes in handy when your
business goes global.

Home of
the bold.
Everywhere you look in Maryland, there are
testaments to the life-changing discoveries made in
our state. Start your path to success here, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be
following in the footsteps of great minds and hardworking dreamers who have impacted the world.

Capital Gains
With D.C. as our neighbor, Maryland businesses
have an edge in federal funding and research.
We also benefit from government contracts
and well-paying jobsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Maryland comes in 1st
per capita in federal jobs, generating over
$14B in wages.

Connected
to it all.
• One of only 4 East Coast ports capable of
receiving Neopanamax ships
• Foreign Trade Zone #74, with sites throughout
the Baltimore metro area, named the North
American winner among Global Free Zones
of the Year in 2016
• One of the most productive U.S. container ports
• #1 port of entry for autos
Maryland is situated in one of the nation’s—and the
world’s—most commercially vibrant corridors. Locate
your business in Maryland, and you’ll be within
an overnight drive to a 3rd of the U.S. population,
a short drive to 4 international airports and a
2-hour train ride from Baltimore to New York City.

5

MAJOR
highways

4

FOREIGN
trade zones

2

CLASS I
rail lines

Hire
smart.
If your business plan involves hiring smart, capable

employees, you’ve come to the right place. An award
winning educational system supplies Maryland with a
diverse and talented workforce.

Top of the class.
• Percentage of professional
and technical workers
• Percentage of employed
PhDs and engineers
• STEM job concentration
• Percentage of public high schools
awarded a gold or silver medal by
U.S. News and World Report
• Total National Centers of Academic
Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
and Research
• Per capita and total federal obligations
for R&D at $16.8B

Johns Hopkins University

1

st

• In U.S. for granting doctorates
in life sciences
• Among universities in total
NIH awards

• In federally funded research at $1.99B
• In total R&D with $2.31B
• Ranked graduate public health and biomedical
engineering program in the nation according to
U.S. News and World Report

University of Maryland College Park
• Renowned for computer science
and engineering programs
• Top 10 best value as rated by Kiplinger
• Top 10 for undergraduate entrepreneurship
programs by Princeton Review

University of Maryland,
Baltimore County (UMBC)
• 7th most innovative school according to
U.S. News and World Report

United States Naval Academy
• 2nd among top public liberal arts colleges
according to U.S. News and World Report
• 5th in undergraduate engineering

Unimpeded
growth.
#

5

FAST-GROWING
firms

4.1%
effective tax rate
compared to
4.5% for U.S.

When it comes to choosing a location for your
business, choose a state that not only allows your
business to thrive, but supports and advances it with
training resources, business incubators and accessible
lending—not to mention a low effective tax rate on
economic activity. It’s no wonder so many businesses
have set up shop here.
• Longest running AAA rating with a stable
outlook from S&P Global, dating back to 1961
• Partnership for Workforce Quality provides
grants and support services to increase the
skills and employment stability of workers
at manufacturing and technology companies
• WorkSmart program connects
16 community colleges to provide
customized business training
• More Jobs for Marylanders program provides
tax incentives for manufacturing business
that create jobs

Fearless
Baltimore, Maryland

Maryland is
home to the

5th

highest concentration
of Inc. 5000 companies
among the states

In good
company.
Maryland is home to some of the best-known
brands in the nation. These companies saw a golden
opportunity in our state and leapt at the chance to
be a part of it. With help from our business-friendly
environment, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown into globally recognized
names. Move to Maryland and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be calling
them your neighbors.

Visionaries
belong
here.

2

#

among the states

IN WALLETHUB’S
Overall Most Innovative States

• 3rd in the Milken Institute’s State
Technology and Science Index
• 6th in the Information Technology
and Innovation Foundation’s State
New Economy Index
• 5th in the Bloomberg U.S. Innovation Index
Maryland’s education system, workforce and access
to research funding feed our strong entrepreneurial
spirit. The state ranks 4th overall and 3rd among
larger population states in the Kauffman Index of
Growth Entrepreneurship, based on startup growth
and density.
Our entrepreneurial community is diverse,
too, with the state ranking 2nd in the
percentage of women-owned firms and
3rd in African American–owned businesses.

Titan of
industries.

Marylandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location and business-friendly
environment provide the perfect conditions
for any business to succeed; however, we thrive
in several key areas.

• 350 federal, academic and private
research centers
• Biotechnology investment incentive tax credit
• 74 federal laboratories
• 1st rapid test for Ebola and 1st FDA-approved
test for colon cancer developed here
• 2,300 life science companies
• Home to NIH, FDA, USDA, NIST
A leader in vaccine development and adult stem cell
production, Maryland is home to one of the largest life
sciences clusters in the U.S. The state’s rapidly growing
bio-ecosystem includes biopharma, biodefense,
genomics, medical devices, nutraceuticals,
personalized and regenerative medicine and more.

• Number of craft breweries doubled in 3 years
• Wineries and vineyards tax credit
• Horse industry is projected to total $1.5B in
economic impact and account for 11,000 jobs
in the state by 2020
A veritable feast, Maryland’s agribusiness
industry spans the spectrum from wineries
and microbreweries, to cheese makers, poultry
producers and crab harvesters, to the world’s
leading spice maker.

Over

12,250
farms

87

%

of Maryland entrepreneurs were
employed here before starting
new businesses

Financial
Services
• 8,350 financial services companies employ

nearly 95,000 people and generate $20B in
gross state product
• National leader in startup growth,
new business survival and scale-ups
• Class A office space, a separate power
grid from NYC and a robust, fiber-rich
telecommunications network
Some of the biggest names in financial services got
their start in Maryland—think T. Rowe Price and Legg
Mason. Where are they today? Still here. Because they
saw the value of a state that supports business growth
with tax credits, a venture fund and the longestrunning AAA bond rating in the nation.

Aerospace
9,020

aerospace and defense businesses generate

$33.2B ANNUALLY

• 14 of top 25 aerospace companies
• Home to NASA Goddard and the Hubble
Space and James Webb Space Telescopes
• 20+ military installations
• Home to NASA’s New Horizons mission,
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, F-35
Joint Strike Fighter and the Shadow V2
• National leader in concentration of
aerospace engineers in the workforce
• University of Maryland College Park
in Top 10 for aerospace engineering
The best minds in aerospace land in Maryland.
A thriving base for space exploration, satellite
technology and manufacturing of drones and
robotics, the industry also includes Department
of Defense–related activities such as biodefense,
cybersecurity, avionics, informatics and ordnance
and weapons testing.

14 25
OF
THE
TOP

Aerospace companies are located
in Maryland

Headquarters: Hunt Valley, Maryland

International
Business
900
Home to

INTERNATIONALLY
owned businesses

7,000
Maryland businesses
export to 209 countries

• Maryland operates international offices
around the globe
• ExportMD assistance program helps businesses
reach new markets
• International business centers across Maryland
offer short-term leases
• Weekend and evening schools offer language
and culture classes created by local Chinese,
Japanese, Indian and Korean communities
Our proximity to the nation’s capital allows us immediate
access to foreign embassies, regulators and elected
leaders. Our Mid-Atlantic location also offers us proximity
and access to key U.S. and international decision makers,
partners and agencies in the technology, biosciences,
finance and manufacturing industries. Maryland is wellpositioned for growth in the global market through both
foreign investment and exports.

Your best
life starts
here.
What does a well-rounded life look like to you? In
Maryland, it looks like an award-winning school system
and reasonable living costs. It looks like a culturally
diverse workforce and environmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one that allows
you to take to the mountains one day and hit the
beaches the next. It looks like outstanding healthcare
resources, bolstered by the 3rd best hospital system
in the U.S., and an abundance of family-friendly
neighborhoods and up-and-coming cities.

Most wanted.

Maryland and many of its individual communities
have been recognized for their high quality of
life. Here, hard work pays off in every aspect. In
fact, Maryland has the highest median household
income and the 3rd lowest poverty rate in
the nation. And theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not ones to keep it to
themselvesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Marylanders are generous, ranking
2nd in charitable donations.

SILVER SPRING,
GAITHERSBURG,
GERMANTOWN and
ROCKVILLE

TOP 10
Most Culturally Diverse Cities in U.S.

BALTIMORE
Dynamic city living at a
fraction of the cost
78% of Boston
75% of Washington DC
50% of New York City
Cost of Living Index U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Make
your
move.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS is part of our culture. It’s an
assurance that when you are ready to start or grow your
business in Maryland, regardless of its size or success level thus
far, we will be here to support you with an educated workforce,
generous funding, quality infrastructure and a prime location.

Don’t rely on chance to land your business in the right
place. Make a move. Bring it to Maryland and watch
business boom.